


Selenelion

by stan_nct_cowards



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Chaptered, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 09:22:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 6,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18178799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stan_nct_cowards/pseuds/stan_nct_cowards
Summary: "He looked back up to see Yuta give him a sweet, bright smile.As bright as the sun.No.The sun was too bright, too harsh.Yuta's smile had a gentle, soothing, understanding glow to it.His smile was the moon."How Sicheng slowly fell in love with the starry eyed boy in the window across from his.





	1. Candles and Detergent

At least Sicheng liked his window.

  
It opened into a plain looking view, with a large block of apartments on the other side, but it had a small shingled roof extending out from under it, perfect for climbing out of his window at night and lying on to gaze at the stars.

  
Not that he had the remotest interest in gazing at the stars and other whimsical activities like that, of course.

  
Directly opposite his window was another one, presumably to someone else's apartment. The curtains were drawn, and he could see a single bed and a messy desk. The walls seemed to be painted with soft purple swirls and spatters of blue. As he gazed at it absently, tugging at the sleeves of his soft yellow sweater, he saw a figure enter the room and throw a bag onto the bed. The person turned and started, obviously not expecting someone watching him from the other window.

  
They drew the curtains up.

  
Sicheng heard the doorbell ring and his mother's voice as she opened the door and greeted the person at the door. It was their neighbour, she had come to welcome them into their house and give them a small gift.

  
As Sicheng's mother talked to the neighbor in her slow, halting Korean, his sister came into his room with a small basket of candles, matches and, bizarrely, some laundry detergent.

  
"She said it's a tradition to gift these to new neighbors" she said, putting the basket on a table.  
He gazed at the strange combination of items on his table.

  
Candles and detergent.

  
His family in Korea.

 


	2. Green Cakes and Window Boys

"That there is the library" said Kun, pointing to a massive pair of doors. He was giving Sicheng a tour of the school building. It was an impressive place, and he might have actually enjoyed it if there hadn't been so many new faces and so much Korean conversation flowing in a confused, half understood stream over his head.

All day long he'd been following Kun, the prefect, around like a lost puppy. Kun was nice and he was Chinese, so Sicheng understood him at least, but now he just wanted to go home.  
"This is the dining hall," said Kun leading him into a large hall full of tables and students sitting around and chatting. "I'll take you to Taeyong."

He led Sicheng to a pair of seniors calmly sitting and eating, a stark contrast to the rowdy teenagers on the table next to them.

"Taeyong, this is Sicheng, the new student. Sicheng, meet Taeyong. He's the Head Boy."

"I'm so glad you could join us," said Taeyong kindly. He was speaking a little slow, and Sicheng realized it was so he could understand better. "We have many foreign students here, and most of them are Chinese."  
Sicheng just nodded.

"I'll introduce you to the other boys in your year after lunch," continued Taeyong. "For now, you can sit with us."  
Sicheng sat down, a little uncertain, a little shy.

"That's Johnny," said Taeyong, pointing to the tall one with brown hair at the end of the table.  
Johnny waved.

"He's from Chicago. Ah, and here's Yuta."

Someone was coming toward them, attention focused on the hand rummaging in his bag. Thick, dark blond hair fell onto his lowered face, obscuring his eyes.

"Taeyong hyung can you please find-" he broke off as he focused on Sicheng.

"Oh hey um, hello," he said, suddenly flustered.

Something clicked inside Sicheng.

"You're the window boy!" He exclaimed.

The other boy, Yuta, looked, if possible, even more flustered.  
"I'm who?"

"You live across my house. I saw you from my window," He paused. "Sorry about that" he added.

"Oh," Yuta nodded. "It's fine." He slid into the seat next to Sicheng. A light blush had settled onto his cheeks.

"First day of school?" he asked. Sicheng nodded.

"You're probably nervous, coming from a different country and dealing with all this so suddenly."  
"I guess."

"I know what it's like, I just moved here a few months ago," Yuta pulled out a slightly squished box out of his bag and opened it.

Inside was a little green cake.

He cut it neatly into two parts, and gave one to Sicheng.

"It's green." said Sicheng, so fascinated by its colour that he didn't even consider refusing it.

"It's a green tea cake," said Yuta, giving him a little smile. "It's my favourite."

Sicheng took a bite. It tasted a bitter and a little sweet. Sicheng contemplated the flavour's validity as a metaphor for a moment, then took another bite. 

"If you ever want help," Yuta said slowly, "Or just someone to talk to, you can always come to me."

Sicheng nodded, feeling warm inside. 

Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all, with it's green cakes and window boys.


	3. Teaspoons and Cacti

Sicheng stirred his coffee slowly, gazing at the golden particles of dust swirling in the air. His whole room was softly illuminated with a pale light, tinged lemon through his yellow curtains. He got up from his bed and walked over to the window, picking his way through the boxes lying around his room. Most of his home was still in boxes, but it was slowly taking shape.  
He tugged the curtains back and let a small, pleasantly surprised laugh escape from his mouth.  
Yuta was at his own window, watering a tiny cactus on his sill with a teaspoon. He was wearing an oversized, faded purple hoodie and his hair was still messed up from sleep. His headphones were placed crookedly on top of it, the wire snaking over his shoulder.  
"Yuta!" Sicheng called. "Window boy!"  
Yuta looked up, startled, then broke into a smile as he pulled his headphones off.  
"Good morning." he called back. "I didn't expect the sun to rise from the West, too."  
Sicheng laughed and looked down, feeling his cheeks warm. Maybe his yellow sweater was a little too bright after all.  
He looked back up to see Yuta give him a sweet, bright smile.  
As bright as the sun.  
No.  
The sun was too bright, too harsh.  
Yuta's smile had a gentle, soothing, understanding glow to it.  
His smile was the moon.


	4. Petals and Pollen

"Today is a special day" said Yuta suddenly.

Sicheng looked at him, surprised.

"Is it?"

"It's the 29th" he said. "One month anniversary."

Sicheng stared at him, lost. "Of what?"

"The day I met you," Yuta said.

Sicheng let out an embarrassed laugh. It was true, he realised. He and Yuta had known each other for a month now, and they'd quickly become best friends. 

"You remember that?" he asked. 

"Of course. Like I said, the 29th is a special day."

He was lying on his back under a large, shady tree. The winter sunlight seeped through the leaves and left dappled shadows across his face. Sicheng was sitting next to him, leaning against the trunk and studying Korean participles. It was mind numbingly boring, and if it hadn't been for the lovely weather he probably would have thrown his book away and gone inside.

Of course, all the credit couldn't go to the weather. It was actually Yuta's presence, he seemed to have some sort of grounded presence that kept Sicheng focused.

Until he started saying things like that, which sent his mind spinning at a hundred miles per hour. He really had a way with words, thought Sicheng. None of his other friends made him feel like that.

"Hey Sicheng."

"Hm?"

"Hold this for me?"

Sicheng held out his hand instinctively, not looking up from his book.

He felt Yuta's cold fingers touch his palm, then lace with his own. 

He tugged his hand back, laughing. This was the third of fourth time Yuta had pulled this on him, and he fell for it every time.

"You got me," he said, feeling a smile tug at his lips from Yuta's infectious grin.

He gazed across the school grounds, feeling relaxed and content. He felt more comfortable with Yuta than he did with anyone else, even though they'd only know each other for a month.

"It's been a month," Sicheng began slowly, "But you still haven't told me why you came to Korea in the first place."

"I did," Yuta replied quietly. "I just wanted to study here."

"I know that isn't true." Sicheng said.

"Then you should also know that I don't want to talk about the truth."

Sicheng glanced at him. His eyes were closed, arms behind his head. Sicheng picked a tiny purple flower and placed it on Yuta's right eyelid. A breath of pollen was dusted across his cheekbone.

Sicheng gazed at the petals and pollen thoughtfully. Purple and yellow. Peace and happiness.

"I can respect that." he said quietly.

The corners of Yuta's mouth lifted slightly.


	5. Suns and Stars

Yuta's phone buzzed loudly with an incoming message.

He groaned.

It buzzed again, insistent.

He rolled over, picking up his phone and squinting at the time through his hair.

Twelve o'clock.

On a Tuesday night.

Then his eyes fell on the name of the of the sender and he was instantly awake. It was Sicheng.

"Yuta are you awake"

"I can't sleep"

Yuta sighed. He had school the next day, and he was tired. Still, he typed a message back.

"Give me a minute"

He sat up and put on his purple hoodie, a pair of socks, and his shoes. Then he opened his window, letting a gust of cool air in.

A moment later, Sicheng appeared at his own window, beaming.

It was at times like this, when the streetlights illuminated his face, when he smiled so genuinely, that he felt that he'd stay awake for a thousand nights just to make sure his smile stayed.

He'd heard the phrase "as beautiful as the moon". 

But the moon wasn't bright enough to hold all of Sicheng's light. 

Yuta couldn't quite look at him straight, and when he did, something inside him caught fire and burned.

He was as beautiful as the sun.

Sicheng waved. "Come here."

"How?"

Sicheng paused, then pointed at the roof that extended from his window like an oversized windowsill. "Jump."

In retrospect, it was probably not the safest thing to do. He might have fallen. The roof might have broken.

Nevertheless, he jumped.

He landed on the edge of the roof successfully, lost his balance, and started falling backwards.

He felt Sicheng grab a fistful of his sweater in one hand and his wrist with the other and pull him back.

They stood there, breathless, for a stunned moment. 

Standing so close together, Yuta couldn't help but notice how Sicheng was a little taller than him, and how he had to tilt his head ever so slightly to look him in the eyes.

"I think," said Yuta. "I just fell for you."

Sicheng laughed softly, letting him go and stepping back. "I hope my parents didn't hear you landing on our dining room roof."

"Tell them it was the rats."

Sicheng laughed again. "Thank you for coming out here."

"Anytime." Yuta tilted his head back and gazed up at the sky. He could see the stars so easily from here.

"Look, there's Taurus." he said, pointing at the constellation in the deep, blue sky.

Sicheng looked up and scrunched up his face. "Where?"

Yuta traced out the constellation with his finger. Sicheng rubbed his neck.

"I don't see it."

"Here, lie down and I'll show you." They lay down next to each other and, taking Sicheng's hand, he helped him trace out Taurus in the sky. Sicheng's hands were warm in his chilly fingers.

Sicheng's lips parted in surprise as he saw it. "That's Taurus?"

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"It looks like a cockroach."

"Oh," said Yuta, not sure how to respond to that. "Well if you don't like-"

"Show me the others."

And he did. He showed him Orion and Caelum. He told him stories of the stars and myths of the sky.

Yuta glanced at him occasionally, just to see his sparkling eyes the way his soft blonde hair curled around his ears. More than once, he found himself looking at him a little too long.

And Sicheng listened quietly, looking happy and content.


	6. Frost and Blankets

"I think we should go inside now," said Sicheng. "It's getting a little chilly." 

They'd been lying on the roof in silence for a while now, Yuta having tired himself out with his stars and stories. Sicheng felt a little sorry that he'd dragged Yuta out into the cold and disturbed his sleep, but he had seemed happy enough.

"Yuta?" he whispered softly, looking over at him. Yuta's eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and even. 

He had fallen asleep.

Sicheng considered waking him and taking him indoors, but he looked so peaceful and comfortable. He didn't look cold at all. And besides, what of he wasn't able to fall asleep again? 

He nuzzled Yuta's shoulder gently, breathing in the comforting scent of fabric softener and green tea.

Then he got up and went inside, leaving the window open.

~~~~~

Sicheng woke up to the sound of his window creaking slightly and the soft scuff of shoes on wood as Yuta climbed in. Sicheng turned on the lamp and glanced at the time.

Three thirty. He'd left Yuta outside for an hour.

He clambered out of bed and went to to Yuta, taking his now freezing hands in his own. His dark hair glimmered silver in the pale light. Was that - frost?

He felt a sharp pang of guilt. Yuta was shivering with cold.

Sicheng led him to his bed and wrapped his blankets around him, gently rubbing the frost out of his thick hair. Yuta rested his head on Sicheng's chest and closed his eyes. The yellow curtains seemed to glow softly in the light of the moon.

Sicheng held Yuta tightly, slowly rocking back and forth. After a short while, he stopped shivering.

"I came because of my parents." he murmured softly.  
Sicheng stilled. He'd never heard Yuta talk about his family before.

"Last year, my father was involved in a business scandal. My parents got divorced, and he went to jail."

Sicheng didn't dare say a word. He feared that if he said the wrong thing, Yuta would close up again.

"Then my mother remarried. She got her own family. She suggested I go to a different place for education and I... I agreed." He fidgeted with the strings on his hoodie. "I didn't want to stay with her and her new husband anymore."

"I'm sorry." Sicheng said quietly.

"It's not the worst thing that could have happened," Yuta shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry I was being so secretive about the whole thing, but I just couldn't talk about it."

Sicheng understood. He imagined his family being torn apart like that and felt sick.

"I understand," he said. "I wouldn't want to talk about it either."

Yuta gave him a warm smile, but there was a glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes. The tip of his nose and his cheeks were still pink with cold. Sicheng had come to rely on Yuta's eternal cheerfulness so much that he had never stopped to consider the problems he might be facing by himself.

"I just wanted to tell someone I trust."

Sicheng intertwined his little finger with Yuta's.

"You can always trust me."


	7. Dreams and Doubts

The first thing that Sicheng noticed when he woke up was that it was too bright for it to be seven o'clock in the morning in winter. His whole room was lit with a lemon glow.

The second thing he noticed was that he had slept so deeply and comfortably that when his alarm had rung in the morning, he had turned it off and gone back to sleep.

The last thing he noticed was that he had four missed calls and he had missed school.

The house was completely silent, and he realised that everyone had left for work and school. His family must have assumed he had left for school early with Yuta, as he usually did, and hadn't bothered to check in his room. 

But Sicheng was still in bed, and Yuta was fast asleep in his arms. 

His back was turned to Sicheng, and he could only see Yuta's thick, ruffled hair.

Sicheng found this surprisingly soothing. In fact, being with him in general was just comfort. He thought of last night, and how happy he been just to spend some time with Yuta. He was, inexplicably, the least tiring person to be around. He was different from the rest of Sicheng's friends.

He felt a tiny seed of doubt take root in his heart.

Why was he different? What made him so special?

He thought about the way his mother talked about his father, the way they looked at each other, the way they were always at ease with each other.

It felt disturbingly familiar. 

Yuta stirred, and Sicheng let go of him, moving back a little. Yuta started to sit up, then froze as he took in his surroundings. 

Sicheng touched his shoulder lightly. He turned, looking startled, clearly not expecting to see Sicheng there. His neck and cheeks flushed a warm shade of pink.

"Good morning," said Sicheng brightly. Yuta looked even more startled, for some reason.

"How am I here?"

"Surely you didn't forget last night already."

Yuta opened his mouth, then closed it. "I thought that was a dream."

"You dream about me?"

Yuta smiled, a little shyly. "Occasionally."

Sicheng was intrigued. "Like what?" 

"Once you brought me coffee and it had a pink galaxy in it."

"Unrealistic," said Sicheng, trying not to blush. "I'd never bring you coffee."

Yuta laughed and smacked him with his pillow. They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the sunlight and each other's presence. 

"We missed school." said Sicheng.

"Doesn't matter.

"Taeyong won't be happy."

"I'll tell him I was spending some time alone."

"And me?"

"I was spending time alone with you." 

Sicheng considered that.

"That works."


	8. Confessions and Rain

"It looks like it's going to rain," said Yuta, with his palm upturned. "We should go back."

After realising that they had missed half a day of school, the two of them had taken the subway and switched through random trains until they reached the Han River. Now they were walking along the riverside. 

Sicheng didn't really want to go back, but he didn't want to get soaked in February either. The sky was slowly turning grey, and the wind was picking up.

So they took a couple of right trains, took a wrong train, got lost, and finally found a bus that took them back. By the time the bus dropped them off, however, it was dark and raining heavily. On top of it all, neither of them had an umbrella, since the sun had been shining so brightly just a few hours ago.

"Well, this sucks." said Yuta flatly as Sicheng hung up the phone. He had been calling his father to ask him to come pick them up, since it was still a long walk home. They were standing under the shelter of the bus stop.

"What sucks?" asked Sicheng, trying to suppress his shivering. 

"The rain," he made a vague hand gesture, "Being stuck here I guess."

"At least it's the two of us," said Sicheng. "It would suck being here alone." Yuta inclined his head, smiling slightly.

"That's true. I'd rather be here with you than anyone else." 

They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the rain fall around them.

"Sicheng?"

"Hm?"

"I have to tell you something."

"I have to tell you something" was never a good thing to hear. It always meant that there was trouble ahead. 

"What is it?" he asked softly. 

"I've been... I'm..." Yuta knocked the tip of his shoe against the ground. "The thing is..." He leaned his head back and exhaled. 

Sicheng suddenly realised what he was about to say. He felt a short thrill of joy, then the overwhelming dampness of dread. 

"I'm in love with you." 

Sicheng felt like he'd been plunged into a ravaging sea. Somewhere, at the edge of his consciousness, thunder rolled over the skies. 

But Sicheng didn't love him back. Did he? Weren't they just friends? He felt confused, stressed, scared, because he didn't know why he was feeling this way. He didn't want to hurt Yuta.

Sicheng felt angry with himself, with Yuta, with everyone and everything. All he knew was that he wanted Yuta to stay by his side, and that anything he might say could change that.

So he chose the worst option. 

He didn't say anything.

And neither did the other.

They stood in silence, best friends but suddenly strangers.

Sicheng was shivering. 

Yuta took off his hoodie and handed it to Sicheng. "I'm going home," he said quietly.

"But I-" Sicheng broke off. He what? He didn't know.

Yuta had already vanished into the rain. 

When Sicheng's father came to get him in his car, he found his son standing by himself under the shelter of the bus stop. He was wearing a baggy, faded purple hoodie and gazing at the date on his phone.

March 1st.

The 29th had never happened.


	9. Truths and Lies

Three days, six hours and thirty minutes. 

That's how long they avoided each other. It was driving Sicheng insane. He knew they would have to confront each other eventually, but how did you just pick up a conversation from one person confessing their love and the other completely ignoring them?

Sicheng sat alone at a table in the dining hall of the school, thinking it over. 

Three days, six hours and thirty one minutes.

Why was it such a big deal? Why couldn't he just say he loved him back?

He pressed his fingers to his temple. "I'm not in love with a boy," he said quietly.

"If you start crying too, I'm going to lock you both in a room together and let you sort it out."

Sicheng looked up, startled, as Taeyong approached him.  
"What?"

"Do you know how devastated Yuta's been? He keeps saying things like he ruined your friendship, and that you'll never want to see him again."

"Well, he's right." Sicheng snapped, anger suddenly rising. "Who told him to just go and throw out words like that?"

"I did."

Sicheng was stunned into silence.

"Look," Taeyong leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table. Sicheng couldn't help feel intimidated by Taeyong towering over him like that. "The problem isn't that you hurt Yuta. The problem is that you're hurting yourself."

"I'm fine."

"Have you seen yourself? You haven't slept, I can tell, and you constantly look like you're on the verge of tears." 

"So what do you want me to do then?" Sicheng got up, his fists clenched. "Say sorry?"

"I want you to be honest with yourself. You know who you are and what you want."

And then he just left. 

"Hey you can't just- come back!"

There was no response. 

He sat back down, feeling uncertain. 

Three days, six hours and thirty five minutes.

Sicheng thought of how, whenever he looked at Yuta, he felt something every time. He felt light, he felt happy, he felt a very subtle warmness in his heart. He thought of the way Yuta's eyes crinkled when he smiled, or the way his hands felt when they grazed his own. He wanted to spend every moment possible with him. He just wanted Yuta to be happy, he just wanted to gaze at his moon. 

He had to stop lying to himself.

He was in love. 

Three days, six hours, forty minutes.

Enough. 

He got up, slinging his bag over his shoulder and running out of the hall. He had just enough time before classes started again. 

He looked for Yuta in the library, the grounds, the lobby, then finally, his classroom.

Yuta was sitting next to the wall, his head resting on his arms on his desk. 

"Yuta!" he exclaimed, going over to him. He looked up at Sicheng, but there wasn't any of the happy glow he had gotten so used to. 

"I'm sorry." said Yuta abruptly.

"What?"

"I'm sorry I said that to you, I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't mean to ruin our friendship."

"No." blurted Sicheng. Yuta recoiled.

"No, I mean- that's not what I meant." Sicheng tried again. "It's not... you didn't do anything wrong. It's- I'm sorry. I have to tell you the truth. I need you to know, I just, I didn't know that I-"

The bell rang.

"It's fine. I'm fine." Yuta turned away and started rummaging through his bag. Students started filing in. 

"Yuta-"

"Go back to your class, Sicheng." said Yuta, still not looking at him. 

"I need you to know-"

"Dong Sicheng." Yuta looked at him in the eye directly. "It's fine. I understand that you don't feel the same way. Go back to your class."

Sicheng didn't know what to do.

So he left.


	10. Smudges and Strings

Sicheng pounded on Yuta's door. 

"Open the-" he broke off, suddenly remembering that Yuta lived alone and felt threatened when people banged on his door. 

He knocked softly. "Yuta?" he called. 

There was no response. For a brief moment of despair, he thought Yuta wouldn't let him in.

Then the door clicked open and he peered out, looking wary.

"Oh hey..." he murmured, stepping aside. "Come in."

He lived by himself in a tiny, single room apartment, The walls were painted with light swirls of purple and the low ceiling was painted a deep, dark blue. There were hundreds of tiny white dots that represented the stars, linked together with yards of white string pinned to the ceiling, representing the constellations. The whole room was littered with comic books and glittery candy wrappers.

Yuta had only been here for a few months, but it felt like he was a part of this room itself. 

Sicheng had always come to rely on this room to be a safe place, but today if felt oppressive, imposing. The string constellations felt like a giant spider web, about to drop down and ensnare him. The purple swirls were almost dizzying. 

Sicheng focused on Yuta himself, who was sitting on his bed now. The subtle black lines around his eyes were slightly smudged.

"Have... have you been crying?" he asked uncertainly, feeling terribly guilty. Yuta didn't respond, just picked up a picture frame that was sitting on his bedside table and placed it face down. Sicheng only had enough time to glimpse what seemed to be a family photo.

"Listen." Sicheng took a deep breath. "What I said to you that night-"

"You didn't say anything that night." Yuta cut him off, a little harshly. "You just ignored me." 

Sicheng wavered, but then started again. "I'm sorry. I just, I'm..." he trailed off, not sure how to continue. 

Yuta's patience was finally at end. "What are you trying to say?"

Sicheng took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Whenever I'm with you, I've never felt butterflies in my stomach, nor was my heart beating too fast. I always felt at ease with you. You're my source of energy and light, and being with you fuels me. 

"Spending time with you is one of the best parts of my day. The last few days were torture for me, I missed the joy you bring me. I didn't know why I was feeling this way. That's why I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

"The thing is, Yuta," he took a deep breath. "The thing is, I love you." 

There was heavy silence.

Then Yuta held out his hand, and Sicheng took it, feeling grateful for the support.

"It's okay to be afraid," Yuta murmured softly, "Its okay." He pulled Sicheng closer and hugged him tightly.

Sicheng buried his face in Yuta's shoulder, inhaling his scent deeply. "I'm sorry," his voice was shaky. "I'm sorry about the mess I made."

He stroked Sicheng's hair lightly. They stayed like that for a while, in each others arms. Then Sicheng looked up at Yuta and felt his heart turn warm as he saw that the sparkle in his eyes was back. 

He slid his fingers into Yuta's hair and, holding onto a fistful, pulled him into a kiss. Yuta's eyes fluttered to a close, grip on him tightening slightly.

They pulled away, a little breathless, and rested their foreheads against each other's. Yuta's eyes were still closed, and Sicheng gazed at the smudged makeup, the smile crinkles around his eyes, the warm flush that covered his cheeks.

"Will I ever get my hoodie back?" asked Yuta.

"No."

Yuta laughed weakly.


	11. Ice Cream and Kittens

"Can I try yours?" Sicheng asked for the fourth time. Yuta sighed.

"You already ate half of mine." 

Sicheng had another spoonful of his bright pink ice cream anyway. 

They were sitting across each other at a table outside the ice cream parlour, enjoying the sunshine and ice cream. Yuta rested his hand on the table, palm upward, and Sicheng took it, lacing their fingers together. As Yuta paused with his spoon in his mouth, looking thoughtful, Sicheng took the chance to steal another spoonful. 

"Hey!" he laughed, swatting Sicheng lightly. "I'll go get you some ice cream if you want it so bad."

Sicheng brushed Yuta's hair out of his eyes and opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a tiny mew.

They both looked down at the kitten sitting beside their table, gazing at them with large, innocent eyes.

Yuta's face lit up. 

"Kitty!" he cooed, leaning closer. He stretched out his leg and the kitten butted the tip of his shoe, then started rubbing itself against his ankle.

"Sicheng look it's so cute."

Sicheng took Yuta's ice cream and started finishing it off, unconcerned. Yuta watched the kitten press itself against his leg in delight. "It doesn't have a collar, I think it's a stray." he paused. "We should feed it."

"I don't think cats should eat ice- oh don't touch it!"

Yuta was already stroking it. "Why not?"

"It has, I don't know, germs and stuff." 

Yuta lifted the kitten, then put it down. "Girl."

"What?"

"The kitten's a girl."

Sicheng finished his ice cream. "I don't think it matters much."

"Why not?"

"We're just going to leave it here, aren't we?"

Yuta looked scandalized.

"You're not taking it home, surely." said Sicheng. 

"We're taking it to the shelter."

Sicheng felt doubtful. "Will it come with us?"

Yuta looked down at the kitten. "Will you come with us?"

"Mrrp."

"I think that's a yes."

And unbelievably, it was. They walked to the shelter, hand in hand, and the kitten followed the whole time, occasionally bumping into Yuta's ankles. 

The lady at the shelter smiled warmly at them when they entered. 

"Welcome," she said. "Have you come to adopt a pet?"

"Actually, um," Yuta pointed at the kitten that was now hiding under the cuff of his jeans. "We found a stray." 

The woman looked a little disappointed. "Of course, just sign this form right here." 

So they signed the form, donated some money to the shelter and prepared to leave. 

"Bye, cutie." said Yuta, genuinely sounding a little sad.  
Sicheng couldn't believe how quickly he'd gotten attached to it. He really was a ridiculously loving person. The kitten mewled loudly and tried to follow Yuta outside. 

"Kitten, no," he tried to push it back inside, but it went back to him and curled up on his shoe. 

The lady looked at Sicheng. "I think your boyfriend bonded with her."

"He has that effect on lost things." said Sicheng, trying not to smile. Yuta grinned sheepishly. 

"Can we keep her?"

"My sister's allergic to ca-" 

"She can stay in my apartment." Yuta cut off him in his excitement.

"Why would my sister stay in your apartment?" 

"I'm taking about the cat!" 

"Oh," Sicheng looked down at the kitten, looking happy and comfortable with Yuta. He couldn't blame the kitten for that, Yuta really did have that effect on lost things, like himself.   
"Oh alright," Sicheng sighed. "Why are you even asking me? I'm not your mom." 

Yuta threw his arms around Sicheng, laughing in delight.

And so, he kept the kitten. 

"Welcome to your new home," said Yuta, putting the kitten down in his tiny apartment. "I'm dad, and this is mom."

"Why am I mom?"

"Fine, I'll be mom."

"What are you going to name it?" asked Sicheng, watching the kitten explore its new home.

"What do you think?" 

"Spot." suggested Sicheng. The kitten was black and white, so it seemed fitting. "Because it has spots."

"Those are patches." Yuta pointed out. The kitten curled up on a pair of pants on the bed, looking content. 

"Call it Patch, then." 

"That's too basic." Yuta watched the kitten thoughtfully. "It seems to like pants a lot."

"Call it Pants." said Sicheng, half joking. 

"That sounds good." 

Sicheng laughed, then realized he was being serious. "Oh."

"Don't you like it?"

Sicheng brushed Yuta's hair off his eyes and gave him a light kiss on his forehead. "It's perfect."


	12. Selenelion

"Stop fussing, I'm trying to braid your hair." 

Yuta fussed a little more, then gave up. "I'm trying to sleep!"

"Who sleeps at twelve am?"

"People who have their lives together." 

Sicheng selected another lock of Yuta's hair and started braiding it. They were lying in Yuta's bed in his apartment, because Sicheng had had too much coffee before, and couldn't sleep. So Yuta had called him over since Sicheng always slept better with him around. 

Unfortunately, Yuta was now sleepy, while Sicheng was still wide awake. 

"Alright, alright," Sicheng stopped bothering him. "I'll try to sleep now too." Yuta butted his chest his head in a silent gesture of gratitude. Since Sicheng slept with a pillow, and Yuta didn't, he had to sleep slightly lower than Sicheng, which usually led to him waking up to find Yuta nuzzling his chest or neck in his sleep. 

He turned over, trying to get comfortable, then, realising that Yuta was keeping him warm, he flopped over again. He kept shifting a little in an attempt to find the perfect position until Yuta wrapped his arms around Sicheng and held him down.

Pants, who was curled up on Yuta's waist, flicked her tail in disapproval.

Sicheng lay in silence for a while, listening to the clock ticking and Yuta's slow breathing. Pants' ear twitched. 

Sicheng was bored.

"Hey," he whispered. "Are you still awake?" 

Yuta stirred. "Still awake," he mumbled, half asleep. Sicheng felt his heart melt a little at his sleepy voice. 

"I'm bored."

Yuta sighed. "What do you want to do?"

"Tell me a story." 

Yuta paused, stroking Pants thoughtfully. Sicheng took his hand and placed it on his own cheek. Yuta stroked his cheek with his thumb, his lips curving into a warm smile. 

"Once upon a time," he began slowly, still piecing his thoughts together. "Once upon a time, the Moon watched over the night sky alone. He would spend the whole night watching the Stars around him go about their lives, being born, falling in love, breaking apart, healing again, and slowly letting the days unravel. The Stars were friendly, but they were Stars, and he was the Moon. The Moon was alone.

"One day, at the edge of the night, the Moon saw the most beautiful sight. He saw the light of day, the warmth of life, he saw the Sun.

"The Sun was a star too, but he was the most incredible star of them all. The Sun would make the Moon glow with joy and burn with love. And so, night after night, the Moon would chase the Sun, but would always shy back at the edge of dawn, for the Sun was too beautiful for him, too perfect, too bright. The Moon feared that if he got too close, he would freeze and shatter the dawn that held the day and night together.

Sicheng brushed Yuta's hair off his face and gazed at him intently. "What did the Moon do then?"

"It overcame it's fears, didn't it? Sometimes, by shattering something, you can discover something else. That's what the Stars told the Moon." 

"Did the Moon shatter the dawn?" 

"Yes." 

Sicheng looked devastated.

"The Moon shattered the dawn that held them at a distance to each other, and the Sun and Moon rose together."

A comforted smile touched Sicheng's lips.

"It's called a Selenelion." said Yuta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it! Thank you for sticking with me and Yuta and Sicheng and Pants, and be tuned for more!


End file.
